


Under the sea

by StopProcrastinating



Series: The Merman Tales [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Kinda, M/M, Mermaids, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, but he is also lowkey scared of it, dad jaehyun, dad taeyong, merman, yuta really loves the ocean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:28:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24055189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StopProcrastinating/pseuds/StopProcrastinating
Summary: The boy was still just looking at him, his eyes flitting down to his tail and up again. “You`re a merman.” He whispered again, looking more in shock about that than over the fact that he almost just drowned.Sicheng threw up his arms. “It doesn`t matter! You almost drowned!”“A real merman.” The boy was breathing normally again, but he looked like he had just seen a ghost.“Yes, I`m a real merman, and you almost drowned, can we acknowledge one thing at a time please?”
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Nakamoto Yuta, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: The Merman Tales [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769086
Comments: 21
Kudos: 156





	1. A real mermaid??

**Author's Note:**

> NO BETA WE DIE LIKE MEN!!

“…and it would strengthen our borders and trade.” 

Yuta almost fell asleep. If this was awaiting him in a couple of years’ time, he would gladly go live as a farmer for the rest of his life. How his fathers managed these types of meetings at least once a week, he would never know, but he supposes they must. Since they are kings.

King Jaehyun and king Taeyong were the rulers of Japan, and they had one sole heir. Said heir did not particularly fancy the job. He wasn`t raised for it. Once it was supposed to go to his brother. Crown prince Johnny. It was always expected; he was the perfect son, and the oldest. Not that Yuta minded, it took the pressure of him.

But, when Johnny went missing five years ago, Yuta`s life was drastically changed. 

Not only did he lose his brother, a huge part of his life, but he also got a crown not fit for him, awaiting his head in seven years. That may seem like a long time to some, but for Yuta they were flying by. 

Now, Yuta was 23, and the loss still felt as fresh as ever. 

How did one get over a close one’s death?

Yuta could still vividly remember playing with his brother in the gardens and sneaking around in the castle to explore until they knew every corner, every hidden passageway. The late-night conversations on the balcony while watching the ocean. He remembered the longing looks he had seen on Johnny`s face when he gazed out towards it, and always wondering what made his brother ache so much for something so close.

The last memory he had of Johnny was a blur. 

They were standing in the gardens, Yuta and Jungwoo, when Johnny came sprinting towards them. He had looked so radiant, so happy, smiling from ear to ear. Yuta had felt that something was off, but what could be wrong when Johnny was so happy?

He wasn`t old enough to recognize the underlining tones of sadness, or the tears slowly gathering in his brothers’ eyes when he said he was going away for a week-long vacation.  
Yuta hadn`t understood that either. Why Johnny was going on a vacation alone, but he let it go. Yuta had been hugged so tight; he could almost still feel it if he focused enough.

“I will miss you.” Johnny had said to him. 

“You will only be gone for a week.” Yuta had replied. If he only knew how wrong he was.

“-what do you think, Yuta?”

“Huh?” He almost forgot about the meeting he was stuck in.

Around the table, he could see some of the advisors and lords roll their eyes, while some were respectfully expressionless. Honestly, he understood where they came from. Johnny was the one who should be here, not Yuta. He wasn`t made for this, even after five years of lessons.

Taeyong looked at him with a concerned expression, and Yuta felt a shot of guilt. He had been spacing out a lot lately, but the boring meeting wasn`t helping either.

He straightened himself where he sat and raised his chin a little, sending his father what he hoped was a reassuring look. “If it will help the people, I think we should do whatever we must.” When you don`t know what to say during those types of meetings, mention the people, and what`s best for them.

That was the one thing Yuta had learnt about getting the advisors to like him. At least a bit more. 

After ten more minutes, everyone was dismissed by the kings, and Yuta had half a mind to go out as well, before Jaehyun called out to him. “Yuta.” 

Said boy froze on the spot, turning slowly to meet the eyes of his parents. 

“Are you okay? You have been spacing out a lot lately.” 

Yuta hated lying to his parents, but he did not know what the truth was either. What was wrong? The coronation was in two years, but it felt like it was tomorrow, and even if he got eight more years of preparation, it still wouldn`t be enough. Perhaps it was that, or maybe he was missing something or someone.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was a combination of both.

“I am sorry, I have not been able to sleep well in the last couple of weeks.” It was a bad excuse, but he`d be damned if he told them all his problems, as if they already didn`t have enough.

“Is something wrong? Have the nightmares returned? Is everything too stressful?” Taeyong was always the more worried out of the two. “Do you need a break?”

Yuta smiled at them. “Everything is fine, father, you do not need to worry.”

Jaehyun still looked skeptical. “Are you completely sure? You know that if you need a week to relax, we can send you to the summer palace.”

However tempting that offer was, Yuta didn`t want to go. Not really. The summer palace was filled with happy memories of him, Jungwoo and Johnny hiding from the guards and sneaking out in the middle of the night to go stargazing on a field not too far away. He didn`t want to ruin all that with new ones of him moping around alone.

In addition, Jungwoo would be one of the guards he`d have to escape from. Not that he couldn`t persuade him, but Jungwoo took his job as a personal guard very seriously and Yuta didn`t want to give him a bad conscience by forcing him to sneak out.

“It is fine, I will ask the doctor for help if it does not get better in the coming days.”

Yuta prayed that they would let it go, he wanted to go for a walk and clear his head of the fog that had been occupying it for the last couple of hours.

“Okay,” Taeyong seemed a little lighter. “but please let us know if this continues.”

Yuta let out a breath. “I will.”

He turned around and left. It was going to be a long walk.

//////////  
There was something about the color of the sky. Sicheng didn`t know what it was, but he was addicted to it, and he was sure that Kun was getting tired of being dragged along to the surface just to see another shade of the same color they were surrounded by every day.

Sicheng didn`t want to drag him along all the time, especially when he kind of wasn`t allowed to go near the surface at all, but Kun had to as his personal guard and substitute dad. He really should be keeping Sicheng from doing it every day, but he had a soft spot for those puppy eyes, and as long as no one saw them it was completely safe. 

However, if Sicheng`s dad, King Doyoung, ever found out, they would be in a lot of trouble to put it mildly.

The only other person that knew how often he visited the surface was his little brother, Renjun, who he knew would never tell a soul.

Renjun could probably visit without many consequences, but Sicheng was next in line as king, and had to stay at the castle, learning everything from languages to trades. 

Personally, Sicheng thought Renjun was a better fit for a king. He was the better decision maker of the two, and a person with great people skills. Sicheng liked to be alone, thinking or reading somewhere quiet. 

Life wasn`t always fair.

“I still don`t know why I let you visit the land so often.” Kun grumbled to his right. Sicheng shrugged. “Because you know how much I love it here and care enough about me to risk my father`s wrath?”

Kun answered with a non-threatening glare.

Breaking through the water surface, Sicheng shook his head and slicked his hair back, smiling up at the sky. It was a little late. Well, a lot late. They always snuck out while Sicheng`s dad was sleeping, so that he wouldn`t notice their absence.

The stars were shining, and the sky was like a blanket wrapping around Sicheng, making him comfortable and relaxed. 

He basked in the moonlight for a while, before ducking underneath again, meeting Kun`s stare. Sicheng just smiled at him before swimming around just beneath where the water met the wind.

////////  
Yuta found himself at the docks. He hadn`t been there since his brother went missing, hoping that it would make him feel closer to Johnny who seemed to love it so much. It helped a little.

Watching the ocean, seeing how huge it was, made Yuta feel small, as if nothing he did mattered. 

In all honesty he could sit there for hours, and it was already getting kind of late. Maybe he had been out for longer than he should, he didn`t want to worry his parents, but he couldn`t find it in himself to leave just yet.

It was peaceful.

He closed his eyes for a little while, feeling the soft breeze caress his skin and flow through his hair. Breathing in and opening his eyes again when he exhaled, Yuta noticed something not far from the land.

It was blue and scaly, and looked like… a tail? 

Yuta rubbed at his eyes and blinked, surely this was only the lack of sleep getting to him? Or maybe it was a type of fish? A dolphin?

But sure enough, there it was again, and this time a whole body was connected. A body that had abs. Could dolphins have abs? And hair? 

Okay maybe he was going crazy.

With that thought, he promptly forgot how he would explain being soaked when he came back and jumped into the sea. 

The water surrounded him. Yuta kicked his legs a little, hoping not to sink and turned around and around, until he saw the same tail. And the same boy? 

What the hell was he even seeing?

The water wasn`t clear enough to see him completely, but what he could see was black hair and another fish-man not far from him with a green tail instead of a blue.

Bubbles came and covered his sight then, but he didn`t realize where they came from, until he felt water infiltrate his mouth and no air in his lungs. His eyes widened then, and he kicked his feet to get to the surface, which worked for a whole two seconds, getting him just enough air before he went under again.

Oh yeah, that`s right, Yuta didn`t know how to swim.

It was utterly stupid in his opinion, never teaching your children how to swim, but his parents always seemed to carry some hate in their hearts for water. Opting to keep their children away from anything they could drown in instead of teaching them how to not. 

Fear gripped his chest, and wouldn`t let go. He knew that the same thing had happened to Johnny, the same thing which was about to happen to him.

How fitting, he thought, to be drowned by something you love.

Johnny had always loved the ocean, seemed to long for it even, and he went missing in it, proclaimed drowned and dead, and now, as Yuta had grown to love it as well, he would suffer the same fate.

////////

Sicheng honestly didn`t know why he went so close to the shore this time, but something in him told him it was a good idea.

Kun didn`t agree.

Sicheng regretted it as well the second he saw a tuft of dark brown hair jumping into the sea. 

He was about to swim all the way home, hoping the human would only think it was their imagination, but then he saw that he couldn`t get up again.

He stopped then, contemplating on what he should do when he felt Kun tug at his arm. “What do you think you are doing?” He hissed out. “We have to go, he can`t see us!”

Sicheng felt something bubble in his chest. “I can`t leave him to drown!” 

“He can`t know that we exist, Sicheng! It would put us all at risk.”

Sicheng didn`t answer that time. He used his remaining strength to rip his arm free and swam as fast as he could towards the drowning boy. “Sicheng!” He could hear Kun shouting for him.

“I am not going to let him die!” He said over his shoulder, arms already reaching for the boy. It seemed as if he was just barely staying alive, his eyes half-closed and unfocused when Sicheng reached him. 

He didn`t weigh a lot, but Sicheng still put his all into reaching the surface, wanting the boy to get air as soon as possible. 

Up close the boy was absolutely gorgeous. With hair that reached his shoulder and a face with sharp lines and an angular jaw. 

Sicheng threw him up on the docks the second he came up, following quickly after to make sure that he was still alive.

He was just about to perform CPR when the boy gasped and coughed up a lot of water. 

Sicheng knew he should go know, while the boy was unfocused and busy coughing, but he was transfixed. Were humans always that beautiful? 

He could almost feel all common sense leaving him. Humans weren`t supposed to know about mermaids and mermen. If they did, the merpeoples lives would be in danger.

Humans were dangerous, and they had a lot of power that they didn`t know about. If they knew a mermaid’s real name, for an example, they could call on them any time. 

Only four people knew about Sicheng`s real name. His dad, his brother, Kun, and his best friend, Ten. 

But, while they had that, mermaids and mermen could control water. Well, some of them could. The royal family was well known for controlling water, it was an ability that had been passed down from Sicheng's ancestors. But, just like any creature, they had to have a weakness.

The calling of names didn`t work on just anyone either. That was a curse carried by the same people blessed with the controlling of water. 

Sicheng was so lost in his head that he didn`t notice the boy looking at him with the big eyes. “You`re a merman.” It was said with a tone of disbelief, which Sicheng thought was reasonable.

Sicheng was conflicted on what he should feel for a couple of seconds, before he settled on anger. Sitting up, he crossed his arms and squinted “What the hell were you thinking jumping into the water like that? You obviously don`t know how to swim, what if I wasn`t there? You could have drowned!” 

The boy was still just looking at him, his eyes flitting down to his tail and up again. “You`re a merman.” He whispered again, looking more in shock about that than over the fact that he almost just drowned.

Sicheng threw up his arms. “It doesn`t matter! You almost drowned!”

“A real merman.” The boy was breathing normally again, but he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

“Yes, I`m a real merman, and you almost drowned, can we acknowledge one thing at a time please?”

At that, the boy seemed to shake out of his stupor, looking Sicheng in the eye, and by gods if those weren`t the most intense eyes he had ever had the pleasure of seeing.

“Okay,” The boy said. “I don`t know how to swim, but I kind of forgot when I saw a fairytale creature not ten meters from me.”

Fair enough, Sicheng thought.

“What is your name?” He asked.

“Yuta.” The boy said.

“Yuta.” Sicheng repeated it. He liked how simple it was, but not at all boring. “How old are you, Yuta?”

“Just turned twenty-three.” So not a boy then. 

The human`s eyes flitted downwards again to where the tail was hanging of the dock. “What`s your name and age?”

“My name is Si-” Sicheng stopped himself, he couldn`t tell his real name, had he been stupid enough to almost forget that? He thought about for a while, pointedly ignoring Yuta`s expectant gaze, and said, “You can call me Winwin.” He paused. “And I`m twenty-one years old.”

“And you`re a merman?” Sicheng let out a sigh. 

“You`re not supposed to know about that.”

Yuta tilted his head, and Sicheng inwardly chastised himself for thinking it was adorable. 

“I won`t tell anyone.” He said slowly, like he was just realizing so himself. “You have my word.”

Sicheng thought he might be stupid for believing that, but he found no trace of dishonesty in Yuta`s eyes.

“Okay.” Sicheng really didn`t want to leave just yet, although he didn`t know why, but he could see Kun looking at him with something close to murderous eyes and felt that it would be a good idea to go now. “Well, goodbye then.” 

He made to get of the docks, but before he could get very far, Yuta`s hand closed around his upper arm. Despite almost drowning in the freezing waters, the hand was so warm, and Sicheng almost leaned into it. 

Sicheng looked down towards where Yuta still held onto his arm with a stricken expression, and Yuta hastily let go. Sicheng almost found himself missing the heat, but the flush that made it`s way across Yuta`s face made up for it.

A smile fought its way onto Sicheng`s face. Cute, he thought.

“Uhm,” Yuta started, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “Can we meet again?” 

Sicheng wanted to say yes, but he knew that he shouldn`t. “I don`t think so…” He really tried to ignore the way Yuta`s expression fell, but goddamn if it wasn`t hard. “I just don`t think I`ll be allowed up anytime soon after this.” He gestured to Kun. “You shouldn`t even know I exist.”

“Oh.” Sicheng had never felt so shitty in his entire life, not even during all the times he lied to his father about visiting the surface. After contemplating, he settled on the stupidest idea his mind could have ever come up with. 

He leaned forward a bit, lips brushing Yuta`s ear as he spoke. “Meet me here, in two days, same time.” And then he jumped into the sea again, leaving Yuta behind.

When he came up to Kun, the personal guard looked disapproving. “What did you whisper to him?”

Sicheng blinked at him innocently. “I told him that if he said anything, I`ll drown him.”

Kun shook his head, but he was smiling. “Let`s go home, I think it`s time for bed.”

/////////

The next day, Sicheng couldn`t stop thinking about Yuta, and it didn`t go unnoticed. He was out swimming with Renjun and Kun when the faraway look in his eyes got commented on. “Honestly, it feels like you`re not even here.” Renjun said.

“Huh?” 

Renjun snorted, Kun didn`t look as amused. “Your brother was an idiot and saved a human yesterday.” 

Sicheng glared. “Ah yes, because saving a life is so horrible.”

Kun sighed. “I didn`t mean it like that, but you could have swum away after doing so, instead of talking to him!”

During the entire conversation, Renjun had been gaping at Sicheng, eyes full of disbelief. “You revealed yourself to a human?!”

“Okay, when you put it like that, it doesn`t sound so good, but the reason I stayed was to make sure if he needed CPR or something!”

“More like he was handsome, and you needed extra time to ogle him.” Kun grumbled. Sicheng glared harder.

Renjun had at one point started laughing, and Sicheng softened a little. “Well as long as you don`t visit him again, don`t wanna risk someone seeing you.”

Sicheng froze for a second, sending a quick prayer that Renjun didn`t notice. “You`re not planning on meeting him again are you?” The prayer was for nothing, he almost forgot how observant Renjun was.

Sicheng laughed. “Of course not, that would be idiocy, despite popular belief, I`m not that stupid.” 

Renjun didn`t look completely convinced and neither did Kun, but they only shared a look before nodding, deciding on dropping the subject.

They swam for hours, before returning to the palace late in the evening. 

While waiting for sleep to grab him, Sicheng gazed out the window. He hadn`t been able to stop thinking about Yuta, but he couldn`t understand why. The idiot jumped into the ocean without knowing how to swim, but the child-like wonder on his face when Sicheng saved him stuck like glue to Sicheng`s brain.

But, Yuta`s stupidly handsome face aside, how would he sneak out tomorrow without Kun noticing? Perhaps he should just ask? No way, Kun would never agree to letting him meet Yuta again. But he had to find a way, he couldn`t just not show up when he was the one who gave the time and place.

Plus, kind of wanted to see how Yuta looked when he wasn`t soaked through, not that he would ever admit that out loud.

No, he had to come up with something, even if it involved begging Kun to not tell anyone.

/////////  
“Why do you look so happy?”

Yuta felt that he should probably be at least a little offended at that, but Jungwoo never meant any harm with anything he said. 

He felt an urge then, to tell Jungwoo all about Winwin, but he had promised to not tell, and Yuta never broke a promise.

“I finally got enough sleep, helped a lot on improving my mood.”

“Okay then.” Jungwoo didn`t bring up how late Yuta came back yesterday, and Yuta was thankful for it. 

Winwin felt like his own personal secret, one he didn`t want share just yet. Not that he could even if he wanted to, but still.

“I`m going out again tonight,” Yuta started. “It really helped me sleep better.” 

Jungwoo looked skeptical. “I really should be going with you, seeing as I am your personal guard.” 

“I know, but what could happen? We`re in the safest part of the country,” Yuta gave Jungwoo what he hoped was a convincing look. “I`ll be extra careful, I promise.” 

He could still see the traces of reluctance on Jungwoo`s face, but Yuta knew how easy it was to convince him of these things. Jungwoo was not bad at his job by any means, but he and Yuta were childhood friends, they trusted each other like no one else, and Jungwoo trusted Yuta to be careful.

“Fine, but be back before sunrise, I don`t want your parents waking up and wondering where you are.” Jungwoo said. “Actually, be back some hours before sunrise, you have to sleep at least five hours.”

Yuta would protest, but it was good enough, it gave him enough time to have a proper conversation with Winwin. Even if he was halfway passed out, he could still feel the ghost of the merman’s arms around his waist, how warm he was even when the water was freezing.

He wondered how soft his hair would be if it was out of the water long enough to dry. Maybe he could feel it someday. Yuta almost physically shook his head at the thought. He had seen this person once and he was already imagining burying his fingers in their hair, what was wrong with him?

He remembered being little, hearing stories about dangerous mermaids, how they could lure you down to sea with their beauty and drown you. How ironic was it then, that Winwin had been the one to save him.

“Shall we go back and eat dinner? It is nearing sundown.” Jungwoo tilted his head in a questioning manner, the way that always made Yuta think of a puppy, before gesturing towards the path that led back towards the castle.

“Sure,” Yuta answered. “I`m starving.” Jungwoo started walking then, and Yuta followed, falling into step beside him. 

He didn`t really know how he would sneak out of the castle later, but he would figure something out. Perhaps he could jump out the window again. After all, he was lucky enough to have a bedroom only on the second floor. He would only need to tie the sheets together and hope that nobody noticed something hanging from his window.

Should be easy enough.

/////////

While everyone was asleep, Sicheng swam carefully towards the windows. There wasn`t any actual glass in them, since they were after all, under water, so it was fairly easy getting out without making a noise, but the fear of Kun waking up and noticing that he was gone hung in the back of his head.

The dock where he had met Yuta wasn`t that far away, only a ten-minute swim, but it felt like forever, the anticipation heavy in his stomach. 

The closer he got, the more nervous he became. What if it got awkward? What if Yuta freaked out, now when the blanket of shock wasn`t there to hold him down? But then he saw Yuta, sitting on the docks with his eyes closed, looking peaceful, serene even. He was smiling to himself, and his hair looked as soft as Sicheng had imagined it.

He reached the dock, splashing a little water carefully on Yuta, to make him aware of Sicheng`s presence. Yuta`s eyes opened slowly, and his smile widened. “Winwin.” He said.  
Sicheng had almost forgotten about that name. 

///////////

Yuta could see the tip of Winwin`s tail stick up from the water, shaking a little. It reminded him of a dog wagging its tail. 

“Yuta.” 

He liked how Winwin said his name. Softly and carefully, like it was something to be treasured. “I didn`t know if you`d show up.” 

Yuta had thought about it, that perhaps the merman had been messing with him. After all, maybe saving people from drowning was a regular occurrence for him. It made him a little sad to think about, that he was just another one to add to the “saved people” list-

Yuta quickly rid his head of that thought. That the merman was saving people regularly was a good thing, not something he should mope about.

“I didn`t know if you would either.” 

Yuta almost scoffed. “I never break my promises.”

“Noted.” Winwin squinted his eyes a little, looking at Yuta as if he was searching for some type of lie hidden somewhere. Yuta squirmed where he sat, it felt like Winwin could practically see all his secrets with how closely he was looking. “You have two tails.” He looked amazed at the prospect; Yuta almost laughed.

“They`re not tails, they`re legs.” He said, smiling. “Have you never seen a human before?”

Winwin looked sheepish. “Only from afar.” He looked down. “I`m not really allowed to travel to the surface.” Yuta realized with a jolt that Winwin looked embarrassed. He was blushing, eyes looking anywhere but Yuta, and Yuta almost cooed.

Winwin noticed Yuta smiling at him and a deeper shade of red spread across his face. “It`s okay.” Yuta said. “I`m not really allowed to go near the ocean.” The merman looked up at that, a curious look in his eyes, but he seemed hesitant as well. Yuta understood, it wasn`t always easy to know when you could ask and when you shouldn`t, so he answered the silent question.

“Uhm, well,” It was still hard to talk about his brother`s death, much less disclose such personal information to a stranger, but Yuta felt like he could trust him. “my brother drowned around here somewhere, and since then my parents have been really strict about not going down here.”

“I`m really sorry to hear that.” Winwin did look sorry, but not like he pitied Yuta, which he really appreciated, but like he understood.

Yuta wondered what had happened in Winwin`s life to make him understand. He didn`t dare ask though, scared that it would drive the merman away.

Yuta forced a smile. “It was a long time ago.” He said. “But being near the ocean makes me feel closer to him, so…” He gestured towards the water, before dropping his hand, letting it rest in his lap again. He could feel the tears pressing on, the clump in his throat. God, it had been five years, did it ever get any easier?

Thankfully, Winwin noticed the need for a topic change, and jumped into a different conversation. “How is it?” He asked excited. “Walking, I mean.” 

Yuta almost got whiplash from the quick change. 

“Well, it`s like, uh, if you- I mean, if you had like-“ How do you even describe walking? Do you talk about how your feet hurt if you use them for too long? How merman`s are lucky because they don`t need to invest in shoes to avoid stepping on sharp rocks? 

Yuta struggled to find the words, to say the least. “Well, imagine that you had two tails, okay?” Winwin furrowed his brows, looking like he was in deep concentration. Why was everything he did so goddamn cute?

“Okay.” He said at last. 

“And now, imagine that you have to put one tail in front of the other, at the bottom of the sea, to move forward.”

Winwin had closed his eyes at this point, looking so focused, Yuta had to hold himself back from cooing, again.

“I`m kind of jealous, you know.” Yuta started, Winwin opened his eyes. “You have a beautiful tail that you can swim with all day.”

“You think my tail is beautiful?”

Yuta quickly realized what he said, flushing a little, he looked down, missing Winwin`s starstruck expression. “Oh, come on, I`m sure you get that all the time.”

Winwin looked down at his tail. “Not really,” He said, almost sadly. “It`s just a normal, boring blue.”

“Boring blue?” Yuta nearly looked offended. “It`s really anything but.”

“Come on, it`s like every other blue out there, I should know, I`m surrounded by the color every minute of every day.” Yuta could not stand Winwin putting himself down like that. 

“I`ve never seen a blue like that.” Winwin didn`t look convinced but Yuta kept going. “Once, when I was younger, I went to Italy with my Father, Taeyong, for business or something, I can`t remember.

While my father was busy, I had gone of to visit a dock full of shops when I saw a boat filled with people. My father wouldn`t be looking for me for at least five hours, so I had some spare time. I went on the boat, bought a ticket of course, and it took me to an island called Ponza.” Yuta could still see the island in his head, it was beautiful, and he longed to visit again one day. “Surrounding the island was the bluest water I have ever seen. It was gorgeous and crystal clear, never seen water more beautiful.”

Yuta sighed. “Of course, I couldn`t stay for long, my father would never approve of me being on a boat, much less by myself.” 

Winwin looked saddened, Yuta couldn`t figure out why.

He coughed awkwardly. “Anyways,” He looked straight into Winwin`s eyes for emphasis. “I have seen the most gorgeous shade of blue ever, in my opinion, and your tail is on par, if not even more beautiful.”

Yuta had absolutely no idea where all that came from, but he was riding the wave of confidence until it disappeared. 

“You`re a charmer.” Winwin looked shy again, Yuta loved it. “Must get a lot of other humans like that huh?” It seemed like there was more to the question, but hope was a dangerous thing, and Yuta wasn`t ready give himself that yet.

“Haven`t really tried it on other humans.”

“Oh?” Winwin looked disinterested, but Yuta saw something else there too. 

“I`m not really the dating type, haven`t had the time.”

Winwin perked up a little, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it. “So, no significant other in your life right now?” It came out casual, like something a relative would ask for the sake of a conversation, and Yuta played along.

“No, not right now.” He tilted his head. “What about you?”

Winwin shook his head. “Haven`t had the time either.”

“A shame.”

“Truly.”

Yuta hadn`t noticed that Winwin`s hair had dried in the time they`d been there, but it was starting to fall into his eyes instead of being slicked back. “Your hair is dry.” He pointed out dumbly.

Winwin looked a little surprised, touching his hair tentatively, ruffling it a little before dropping his hand back down. “Yeah, it does that when it`s not in water.” Yuta should probably be offended, but Winwin`s teasing smirk made the thought evaporate. 

Just then he noticed the sun hitting Winwin`s hair just right, making the top glow a little-

Wait.

The sun?!

“Shit.” He cursed, he hadn`t realized how long they`d been there, and he had promised Jungwoo to be back before sunrise. 

“What`s wrong?” Winwin looked concerned, before Yuta pointed towards the light, and realization dawned his face. “Shit.”

“I have to go.” Yuta said, Winwin nodded in agreement. “But I would like to see you again, if you want to of course.”

Winwin looked troubled but nodded nonetheless. “Same time, three days from now?” Now, Yuta wasn`t impatient, but not seeing Winwin for three more days made him kind of restless. Still, he agreed. 

“Three days from now.” He repeated. 

With that, they said their goodbyes and made their way to their separate homes.

///////////

Sicheng should have seen this coming, after all, his best friend was incapable of leaving things alone. 

Maybe he should feel betrayed, that Renjun had told someone about Yuta, but how could he, when that someone was Ten? 

“I cannot believe that you met a total hottie on two legs and didn`t tell me immediately!” Ten looked like Sicheng had just punched him in the face. Which, Sicheng supposed, he might as well have. He knew how Ten felt about this kind of stuff.

“I`m sorry.” Sicheng said. Ten scoffed. “I was going to, but I didn`t want to risk more people finding out and telling my father.”

Ten softened a bit at that. “Okay fine, I understand, but you could have at least said that you met someone.” He looked at Sicheng with widened eyes, most likely to guilt him into saying more about the so called “hottie on two legs.” Ten continued his attempt. “After all, I told you when I met someone.” He batted his eyelashes.

Sicheng was mostly disgusted, but he trusted Ten with his life. If he couldn`t tell him, who could he? So he told him everything. Well, almost everything. He kept some details for himself. Like how Yuta spoke with such sorrow when he talked about his brother, Sicheng could almost feel it himself. How soft his hair looked, and how Sicheng wanted to run his fingers through it. 

But he told him about how Yuta had complimented his tail, how his eyes sparkled when he laughed. And most importantly, how he had explained what walking felt like. Sicheng felt like he understood a little, but his imagination could probably never compare to what sand felt like underneath real feet.

Yuta had said that he was jealous of Sicheng`s tail, but oh, if he only knew how jealous Sicheng was of his legs. He could walk, run, feel the ground with his feet, climb, and even swim. Humans could both walk on land and swim in water, merman`s only got one. If humans only knew how truly lucky they were.

Ten looked neutral still, if not a little fond at the happiness radiating from Sicheng as he talked. “What`s the lucky guys name?” He asked at last with a little wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Sicheng smiled softly. “Yuta.” He said, still loving how simple yet beautiful the name was. Too lost in his head, he didn`t notice how Ten jolted, nor the shocked expression that made it`s way onto his face.

“I have to go.” Ten looked troubled when Sicheng threw a worried glance towards him.

“Are you okay?” He asked slowly. Ten answered with a small smile and a nod. “Yeah, I just remembered that I have… uhm, that I promised to meet my husband, in like, ten minutes, and it`s a seven-minute swim, so I have to go.” 

Sicheng furrowed his brows in confusion, but ultimately let it go. If Ten wanted to tell him, he would. “Sure.” He said. “I`ll see you later?” 

Ten just nodded again, before he swam away, leaving Sicheng alone with thoughts occupied by no one else but a certain brown-haired human.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO BETA WE DIE LIKE MEN AGAIN

Yuta didn`t think it was possible for time to pass so slowly, but here he was, stuck in his room while waiting for his parents. He didn`t know what they wanted to talk to him about, but it had seemed important.

He was lying in bed, staring straight up. The ceiling in his room was a gorgeous gold, with fake clouds painted on. It had been there since he was a baby, but even as he grew, he still loved it and every time his parents asked if he wanted a new color, he always answered the same. No.

Yuta didn`t know how long he laid there before the door creaked open, his parent`s heads peeking through. “Good, you`re still here.”

Well, it`s kind of hard to go anywhere else when there are guards everywhere with strict orders to not let you out until instructed otherwise, Yuta thought, but he didn`t voice those thoughts out loud.

He didn`t fancy death today.

They entered slowly, Taeyong looked unsure, whereas Jaehyun looked… Well, not mad, but not entirely happy either.

Yuta sat up in bed, scooting to the edge. He was twenty-three but he still felt like a child sometimes. His parents remained standing. Jaehyun had a comforting arm wrapped around Taeyong`s waist, who looked like he was about to break down.

Yuta got worried then. He knew that Taeyong wasn`t by any means weak, not at all, but for him to lean on Jaehyun like this? Something was definitely wrong.

“Is something the matter?” Yuta straightened his back.

His parents shared a look, before Taeyong breathed in deeply, dislocating himself from Jaehyun, and making his way over to sit beside Yuta on the bed.

“Well, you see,” Taeyong looked over at Jaehyun, looking for help. Jaehyun sighed. “We heard from one of the guards that you had been spotted walking down to the beach.” 

Yuta froze. They were most definitely not supposed to know about that.

Then he remembered that he was an adult. “And? I didn`t go swimming or anything.” He lowered his voice. “Not like I could swim anyway.”

“Son,” Jaehyun started. “we don`t want you near the beach.”

“I`m an adult, Father, I can go down to the beach if I want to.” Yuta did not feel like arguing about this, less so when his parents didn`t even know about Winwin.

Jaehyun bristled a little. “You are the future king, but as of right now, me and your father are, so you will listen to us and not go down there anymore.”

Taeyong was a little softer. “Please, don`t go down anymore, it`s not safe.”

Yuta did not like the thought of not seeing Winwin again. “Why not?!” His voice had gained volume at this point. “I like it there, okay? It clears my head and calms me down, can`t I just go there when I want?”

“Your brother drowned-“ Yuta stopped him before he could finish. “Please, just because it happened to him, doesn`t mean it`ll happen to me.” His voice got softer. “Just, I`ll be extra careful okay?”

Taeyong shook his head. “Yuta, you don`t understand- “

“What is it I don`t understand?!” Yuta did not mean to shout, but he was already getting tired of this.  
He understood; he really did. They didn`t want him to die like Johnny did, but what they didn`t understand was the love Johnny had carried for the sea. They couldn`t understand how the ocean made him feel closer to his brother, even after his death. He could almost feel Johnny there when he sat on the docks, looking out towards the sun slipping under.

And then there was Winwin. He had met him a total of two times, but he`d be damned if he let that be it. 

“Maybe it`s time to tell him.”

Well, paint him confused. 

Taeyong looked perplexed at the suggestion, Yuta had no idea why. “Tell me what?”

Taeyong shot up from his position on the bed. “Absolutely not.” He crossed his arms.

“Since you mentioned that there was, in fact, something to tell,” Yuta said. “I feel like you should say it.”

Taeyong looked like he would rather die, while Jaehyun looked exhausted. “Please, Love.” Jaehyun looked at Taeyong. “He`s old enough, and it`s been five years.”

Yuta did not like where this was going. He was not stupid, he knew it had something to do with Johnny from the way Taeyong seemed like he was seconds away from shattering, and how Jaehyun looked twenty years older all of a sudden.

“Please just tell me.” Yuta pleaded quietly. He could hear one if his parents draw in a shaky breath.

“Okay so,” Taeyong started. “You know how your brother-“ He breathed in deeply, reaching behind him to hold Jaehyun`s hand. “-how your brother drowned?”

“Yeah.” 

“Well, that`s not exactly what happened.”

Yuta`s brain didn`t quite process what that meant. Did something else happen to Johnny? If that was the case, what did kill him?

“What did happen then?” Yuta didn`t really know if he actually wanted to hear, but some part of him needed to.

“Remember when you were small? And I would read you fairytales about the creatures of the sea?”

Yuta nodded slowly. He did remember, vividly so, when he and Johnny would curl up to Taeyong on the bed, Jaehyun joining sometimes when he had the time, and being read to. It was one of his fondest memories, and oh, how he missed those days.

Taeyong would often read about mermaids and sirens, warning his young sons about both. They lure you in, he had said. Yuta had been terrified; Johnny had been intrigued. How? He had asked, like any curious child would.

Mermaids are gorgeous, they had been told. They lure you in with their beauty. Make you fall for them, yearn for them. Trust them. Then, when you least expect it, they pull you in, and you go willingly. 

Then you drown.

Johnny had puffed out his chest, and with a cocky expression said: “No mermaid could ever lure me in, I`m way too smart!” The confidence was that of an eight-year old. Taeyong had smiled sadly at him. “Doesn`t matter how smart you are, sweetie.” He ruffled Johnny`s hair. It had started to get longer; he would have to get it cut soon. “If a mermaid decides on you as it`s next victim, you either kill it, or keep away from it.”

Little Yuta had spoken up then. “But mermaids and sirens… They aren`t really real, are they?” He didn`t feel that ignoring someone was polite, much less killing. Taeyong had smiled, it was small and comforting. “Of course not, my little prince, you have nothing to worry about.”

Something in Yuta didn`t quite believe it, but if his father said so, it had to be the truth. Right?

Now, Yuta was older and wiser. He knew that his father had been wrong, mermaids did exist, but they weren`t like he had been told. At least not the one he had met. Winwin was sweet and cute and adorable. 

“Those weren`t exactly only fairytales.” Yuta wished Taeyong would stop dancing around the subject and get to the point, but his father looked so nervous that he kept his mouth shut.

“A sailor was by the dock the day your brother went missing, and assumedly drowned, but he told us what really happened.” Taeyong drew in another shaky breath, his knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping Jaehyun`s hand.

“Mermaids are real, Yuta, and one of them drowned your brother.” The last part came out strangled, like Taeyong couldn`t bear speak about it anymore as he let Jaehyun wrap his arm around his middle, the other coming over his shoulder and onto his chest. 

“What?” Yuta choked out.

Jaehyun spoke up this time. “The sailor saw your brother on the dock, leaning down to speak to a figure in the ocean, before it dragged him under, and he never came back up.”

“Why didn`t you say anything sooner?” Yuta`s head was spinning with this new information. His brother was killed. By someone like Winwin, from the same kingdom as Winwin. 

“The sailor didn`t tell us right away, he thought his sight had been altered by the lack of sleep and that he had imagined the figure. But months later, he saw a tail, exactly like the one from the books, and he knew then that he had not imagined anything.

So, he came to us, apologizing frantically for not saying anything sooner, and we finally found out what really happened.” Jaehyun finished, arms still wrapped around Taeyong.

Yuta was still confused. “That doesn`t explain why you waited years to tell me.” He could feel the anger shimmer beneath the surface, but he was still in shock, the anger would have to wait.

“The wound was still fresh, Yuta, and we didn`t really know how.” Jaehyun looked distraught. “It never seemed like the right time.”

Yuta almost scoffed. There was no such thing as “The right time” to tell stuff like that, you just had to be gentle about it, and eventually, it would be ok again. 

“That`s why we don`t want you going down there, even if you`re being careful. A mermaid never drowns you right away, it gains your trust first, but I guess you already know that.”

Yuta did remember the stories; they were impossible to forget. 

“I don`t believe that all mermaids are bad.” Yuta said. “There are good and bad people as well, why shouldn`t there be good mermaids as well?”

Jaehyun shook his head. “Some mermaids are probably good yes, but it`s in their nature, Yuta. You can`t change a creature`s nature.”

“I think they`re more complicated than that.” Yuta argued.

Taeyong spoke up then, his voice a little hoarse. Probably from crying, Yuta guessed. “Maybe they are, maybe they are not.” His voice was low, Yuta almost had to strain himself to hear him. “But we cannot possibly differ them, and therefore, you are staying safe, far away from the ocean.”

Yuta was about to protest, but Taeyong cut him off the second he opened his mouth. “Jungwoo get`s a second chance at watching over you, since he is a childhood friend, but if you`re caught sneaking down there again, he will be replaced. And that`s final.”

He couldn`t believe it. “You can`t be serious.” Yuta said. “It`s not Jungwoo`s fault I snuck out! In addition, I`m old enough to choose my own personal guard, you cannot simply replace him!”

“I`m a king, of course I can.” Yuta had never seen Taeyong so cold, so filled with hatred and ready to take it out on anything that could make him loose his only son.

With that, Taeyong turned and walked out. Jaehyun lingered a bit. “I am sorry,” He said. “but your father is right. We can`t risk what happened to Johnny happening to you as well.”

Then he walked out too, leaving Yuta alone, his heart broken.

He couldn`t visit Winwin without risking Jungwoo`s job, which he needed to make money so that he could survive.

But Yuta knew that he had to see Winwin again. It wasn`t even a question. However, he had to find a way to get down to the docks without being spotted, and with that he would need Jungwoo`s help.

Although, how could he ask of such a favor when he knew what Jungwoo would be risking?

He was supposed to meet Winwin again in one day, he had to find something out by then.

He had to.

/////////////

“Honey, I`m home!” 

Ten`s voice filled the room, sarcasm clear. He had been distressed ever since his conversation with Sicheng, and he needed to speak with his husband.

His eyes flitted around the room. There was no sign of anyone here.

Ten sighed, before moving towards the small corner in the room where two chairs and a table stood.

It wasn`t like mermaids needed to sit down, but Ten was so exhausted that he promptly collapsed onto the old chair.

He had found a pair of them while on a swim three years ago. There had been an old shipwreck found a little stretch from the palace, and Sicheng had dragged him along to search for human treasures.

They hadn`t found much, only a small cluster of rings and necklaces, hidden in a box below deck. However, Ten had found some gorgeous furniture that he couldn`t wait to bring home, making his and his husbands place a little homier. A little more theirs.

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist, and Ten instantly smiled. He could recognize them anywhere. He leaned backwards into his husband`s chest, melting into the embrace. “Hey.” It was whispered softly into Ten`s ear.

He turned around, wrapping his arms around his husband`s neck. “Hey.” He replied.

“I talked to Winwin today.” Ten still hated not using Sicheng`s real name in front of other people, but Sicheng had trusted him with it, and he would never betray that trust.

“Oh?” Came the reply. “And what did you talk about?” 

It was hard to focus with a pair of lips trailing featherlight kisses down his neck, but this was important, so Ten pulled through.

“He mentioned a human he had met.” The lips froze for a couple of seconds, before moving down to his collarbones.

Oh gods it was hard to focus.

“His name was Yuta.”

The ministrations stopped completely, and a pair of scared eyes met his. The arms around his waist had loosened a little, but they didn`t let go. “Johnny…” Ten started slowly. “Didn`t you have a brother named Yuta?”

Johnny`s eyes closed, but he nodded. “I have a brother named Yuta, yes.” He opened his eyes again. There was so much pain swimming in them, Ten almost winced. “He cannot know that I`m alive, Ten, you can`t tell Winwin about this, if it`s even the same Yuta.”

“He was a prince.”

“Okay, so definitely the same Yuta.” 

Johnny looked at him with pleading eyes. “Please, I know you hate not telling Winwin things, but Yuta can absolutely not find out. He won`t understand why I faked my death, he`ll hate me.”

Ten knew about all this, he knew that Johnny`s parents would have never let the future prince marry a creature of the sea, much less become one himself. He also knew how much it had pained Johnny to leave his little brother like that. He had cried silently to himself when he thought Ten couldn`t hear for years, and Ten never knew what do to.

He also knew that was the sacrifice Johnny had to make for his tail.

He had tried many times to tell him that they could talk to Yuta, explain everything to him, but Johnny had been insistent on what would happen if they did.

His parents would find out, and they would be ripped apart forever. In addition, Johnny refused to put his brother through that. The secrecy with Ten had mentally drained Johnny as well.

Sneaking out all the time, constantly lying to everyone, it was exhausting.

Ten remembered how he met Johnny. He had been washed up to shore after being hit by a ship, falling unconscious in the storm that had been raging.

He didn`t know long he had been laying at the beach, bleeding from a gash on his head, when Johnny had walked past, spotting him. 

He had been alarmed immediately, going into full panic mode before kneeling besides Ten`s limp body in the sand. He hadn`t known what to do, he wanted to call for help, but they weren`t anyone nearby.

Johnny had ripped out a part of his shirt, folding it once before he put it on the wound, trying to stop the light bleeding. 

When Ten woke up, he was startled to see the hottest guy ever, leaning over him with a soft fabric pressed against the side of his head. He hadn`t seemed frightened or even shocked at there being a real mermaid on the beach, only curious and worried.

Ten, on the other hand, had reverted back to his flirty self, forgetting that he might have had a concussion, and smiled at Johnny. “Do you need help getting back in?” Johnny had asked, gesturing towards the sea.

“I wouldn`t mind if you carried me.” Ten winked at him, Johnny flushed.

“What happened to you?” He asked. Ten snorted. “Got hit by a ship since I was stupid enough to go swimming near the surface during a storm.” Johnny laughed a little, Ten decided that he liked the sound. “You can throw me out again now, handsome.”

Johnny looked skeptical. “I really shouldn`t just yet, you might have a concussion.”

Ten rolled his eyes, although it was almost fond. “I`m fine!” Johnny still didn`t look convinced. “Fine, if you don`t believe me, I can meet you back here in… what about tomorrow? And if I`m not in tip top shape, you can fuzz as much as you want.” Ten smiled angelically at him, batting his eyelashes for good measure. He was starting to feel parched and he really wanted to get back home.

Johnny had agreed then, even if he seemed a little reluctant. He had put one arm around Ten`s waist, and put the other under his tail, lifting him up with ease. It would be a lie to say Ten wasn`t a little bit turned on at the display of strength. 

He wrapped his arms around Johnny`s neck and held on tight, feeling a little dizzy.

Johnny went to the end of the dock before telling Ten to remove his arms so that he could drop him back into the ocean. Ten almost didn`t want to, he hadn`t felt this comfortable in a while. But alas, he was way too dry, his tail was starting to itch, and he needed to be back in the water, so he let go.

Johnny smiled at him before letting him go. Letting out a sigh when he hit the water, Ten relished in the feeling before breaking the surface again to say one last thing to the guy who had saved him. “See you tomorrow, handsome, at sundown, don`t be late!” Ten winked at him again.

“And don`t tell anyone about this, I`ll have to drown you, and I really don`t want to.”

Then he disappeared below again and swam all the way back home.

That had been seven years ago.

“I promise I won`t tell.” Ten said. “But you must know that he might find out even if I don`t. Winwin talks to him, and he knows about you, not everything, but enough to put the pieces together if Yuta tells him about his dead brother.”

Johnny looked defeated. “And I`ll deal with it if that happens.” He sighed and Ten felt a pang of sympathy. 

“I`m sorry that everything`s gotten so complicated.” Johnny looked at him, his arms tightening again, drawing Ten closer. “It`s no one’s fault but my own.” He said. 

“I knew what I was getting into when I made that deal with Haechan.”

//////////

Yuta had come up with a plan. It wasn`t a good one, but it was something.

Here it was: He would jump out the window like last time, but now, the route to the beach was changed.

Last time he had been careless walking in the middle of the road, now he would have to walk down the steep hill to avoid being seen.

Jungwoo had agreed to the plan, seeing how desperate his friend was to meet the mermaid again. Of course, he talked to his best friend about this first. Although he didn`t want to risk Jungwoo`s job, the latter had joked about Yuta hiring him again when he became king.

Yuta was certain that he would if everything went south. 

The thing was, that climbing out of the window was easy. Getting past the guards? He had done that since he could walk.

Yuta wondered briefly if they should get a stricter training program for new guards.

With that thought, he climbed out of the window and made his way towards the hill. The guards were never that worried about being attacked, and you could see it in the way they patrolled. Lazily, and they obviously didn’t care enough to check the prince`s window.

Yuta guessed he could understand, there had been peace for more than forty years. 

When he looked down towards the bottom of the hill, Yuta readied himself for his death. He hoped his years of tree-climbing with Johnny and Jungwoo would help. To make everything worse, it was in the middle of the night. The only source of light coming from the moon.

And then, he made his way downwards.

/////////

It was becoming a routine. 

Winwin would sneak out of his palace, swimming away while everyone else were asleep, while Yuta climbed up and down, sneaking past the guards and lying to his parents about where he was.

Training, walking in the gardens with Jungwoo, visiting the village. All lies he made up for when he left early or came back after sunrise. No guards had seen him walk down the path to the beach anyways, so they couldn`t prove otherwise.

His heart skipped a beat every time he saw Winwin waiting for him by the docks, or when his head popped up from the ocean when Yuta had arrived first.

They met about three times a week, and each time they got to know little bit more about each other. After the conversation they had the second time they met, Yuta had decided that he wanted to slow it down, and without having to tell Winwin, he had agreed. He hadn`t pried anymore about his brother, instead asking about his favorites. Favorite color.

(“What do you mean with your favorite color isn`t blue?!”

“I just like orange more!”

“But your tail is blue! Everything around you is blue!”

“Yes, so you can see how I grew tired of it.”

“But blue is so pretty!”

“Orange is as well, Yuta, just let it go.”

“But blue!”

“Well, what`s your favorite color then?”

“Red.”

“Oh my gods.”)

Favorite foods.

(“What do you mean by seafood?!”

“No, Winwin, that`s not what I meant- “

“How could you even say that to me?!”

“But I don`t- “

“The fish are my friends, and you`re telling me that you like to eat them?! With a “fork” of all things.”

“I am never attempting to flirt again.”

“Wait what?”)

Favorite childhood memory.

“I remember when I was around ten years old, me, my brother, and our best friend snuck out in the middle of the night to go to the beach.” Yuta said wistfully. He and Winwin sat at the docks, reminiscing about their childhoods while the stars shined down on them.

“We didn`t dare go out in the water since we couldn`t swim.” Yuta laughed. “Still can`t.” 

“But we ran around, enjoying our freedom, watching the waves.” He sighed, Winwin looked at him. “I get it.” He murmured. “I just want to see they sky once in a while, maybe lay down in the grass and enjoy the sun on my skin, but I`m not allowed near the surface, much less get legs.”

Their situations where completely opposite, but still exactly the same. Yuta felt like someone understood.

Then something Winwin said hit him.

“You can get legs?”

Winwin looked shocked, like he hadn`t meant for the information to slip out, but nevertheless he told Yuta about the sea witch, Haechan.

Haechan was an ancient sea creature with unnatural abilities. Even so, he was still childish and loved to joke around and annoy people. More specifically, he loved to annoy his best friend and boyfriend, Mark.

The latter was known for his patience. Deservedly so.

Haechan could give land-people tails, and merpeople legs, but there was always a prize to pay. And it was never small.

“Wait, wait.” Yuta interrupted Winwin`s story. “You`re telling me, that I could get a tail if I was able to give up something valuable?”

Winwin nodded. “There is more to it, but I don`t know a lot about the process. However, my best friend, Ten, does.”

Yuta looked thoughtful. 

“Anyways,” Winwin said. “Let`s not talk about that anymore, Haechan kind of freaks me out, and I`ve only met the kid once.”

“Okay.” Yuta had agreed. “What do you want to talk about?”

Winwin thought for a little while. “What about…” He snapped his fingers. “What`s your favorite animal?” Yuta almost snorted.

“Well, I always liked dolphins- “ 

“How can someone like dolphins?” Winwin interrupted. “One tried to drown me once.” 

“You`re literally a merman, Winwin, you can`t drown.”

“Still, it`s the thought that counts.”

“I guess it is.” Yuta agreed. “Anyways, as I was saying,” He shot a look at Winwin, who raised his hands in surrender, a smile playing on his lips. “I always liked dolphins, but Johnny was so insistent on dogs it was insane.” Yuta chuckled at the memory. “We argued for months about which was best. He won in the end, since I honestly couldn`t care less at that point.”

While Yuta was laughing, he hadn`t noticed how Winwin had stopped smiling, or how he was pale as a ghost.

“Johnny?” 

Yuta remembered that he had never told him his brother`s name.

“Oh, that was my brother.” He explained, eyes getting sad. But then he saw how Winwin didn`t look sympathetic or understanding, he looked shocked and confused. “Did you know someone named Johnny?” He asked carefully. Maybe Winwin had saved him as well?

Said boy seemed to shake out of his confusion, his eyebrows smoothened out and a radiant smile took over his face. “No, you just never mentioned what his name was before, I totally forgot that I didn`t know.”

Yuta felt guilty. “I didn`t mean to make it seem like I was hiding it from you, I honestly forgot, I swear!”

Winwin waved his hand. “It`s fine, I just didn`t expect it. But I didn`t mean to overreact like that.” He looked genuinely sorry, but Yuta couldn`t fathom why. This was just a small misunderstanding. 

Winwin looked out towards the sea. “I should be heading back now.”

Yuta felt something in his chest cave, like it did every time they had to part ways for the next two days. “I guess I`ll see you on Friday then.” He said, trying not to let his disappointment show.

Winwin didn`t look happy about it either as he inched his way towards the end of the dock, the tip of his tail entering the water, but before he got very far, he turned around to face Yuta again. “Could you help me a little bit?” 

“What do you want me to do?”

Winwin smiled. “Just push me gently of the dock and into the water, please.”

Yuta did not want to push Winwin, so instead, he joined the merman at the end of the dock, put one hand on his back and the other under his tail, lifting him up and readying himself for putting him down in the water. 

Before he could, however, Winwin leaned in close and pecked his cheek. “Thank you.” He whispered. Yuta could only nod, a little starstruck, before holding him above the sea and gently loosening his grip until Winwin fell in.

His head came back up for a short while, waving shyly at him as they exchanged goodbyes, before he disappeared under again.

Yuta lifted a hand to his cheek, tracing his finger over where Winwin`s lips had been not moments before. He couldn`t stop smiling to himself for the rest of the day.

//////////

“Ten, you son of a bitch.”

“What did I do this time?” Ten`s head popped out from behind Johnny`s tall frame. Sicheng felt different looking at Johnny now, knowing who he really was. Honestly, he had wanted to talk to Ten alone, but if Johnny was there, he might as well hear too.

“I had an interesting conversation earlier today.” Ten raised a brow, Johnny looked as if he was contemplating on leaving. 

Before he could however, Sicheng raised his gaze to Johnny`s face. “With your brother.” He added. Johnny paled.

“Apparently, Yuta has a dead brother.” Sicheng looked back towards Ten for a split second. “But as you can see, he`s not so dead after all.”

Both Ten and Johnny looked horrified, but Johnny was worse. “Care to explain?”

Neither of them wanted to, Sicheng could see it clearly, but he would not leave without an explanation.

Apparently, they both saw his unwillingness to let it go, because Johnny sighed, and gestured for him to sit down by the table. Sicheng made his way over to one of the chairs, while Johnny sat opposite of him with Ten right behind, a hand laid carefully on his husband`s shoulder.

Johnny drew in a shaky breath. “How is he?”

It was obvious he was talking about Yuta, but Sicheng almost didn`t want to answer. How could he, when Yuta was so sad up there, despite his best efforts to hide it? He was trapped, and Sicheng knew exactly how that felt, but at least he still had Renjun.

He couldn`t comprehend how Johnny could just leave his brother alone like that, but Sicheng was reasonable, he knew there might be more to the story, that he could understand a bit more if he got Johnny`s side.

So, he answered honestly. “He`s lonely, and trapped, allowed to go anywhere except for where he wants to most.” Johnny flinched, and some sick part of Sicheng thought that he deserved to feel bad.

“Can you just tell me why?” Sicheng didn`t want to dance around the subject, he wasn`t anywhere near patient enough.

Johnny turned and looked up towards Ten, who gave him a reassuring smile. 

“I fell in love.” He said simply, as if that explained everything.

“And you couldn`t at least tell your brother this? Instead of putting him through so much pain because he thought you died?”

“I couldn`t tell anyone on land, if I wanted this life.” 

Sicheng almost groaned. Could Johnny be a little less vague? “Can you please just explain?”

“You know Haechan?”

Sicheng shuddered. “Of course.”

“Well, in exchange for my tail I had to pay the price with my life as a royal, a brother and a son.” If they were above water, Johnny would probably cry, maybe he already was, Sicheng thought. It was hard to tell.

“I was selfish, okay? I know that, but I fell in love, and I would do anything to be with Ten.” Said person squeezed Johnny`s shoulder, a sad smile on his face.

Sicheng looked between them. He had known Ten all his life and had never thought of it as weird when he brought a man from the village into the ocean to marry. He had been told only half the story it seemed, because he never knew exactly who Johnny was, or what he sacrificed to get where he was today.

He felt that Yuta deserved to know, but he knew Haechan, and he knew that if anyone broke the terms of a deal made with him, they would surely die, or succumb to a fate much worse than death.

Haechan wasn`t evil, but he took his deals very seriously.

Suddenly, Sicheng was struck with an idea. He looked towards Johnny who had grief written in his facial features, before he spoke without thinking. “What if I tell him?”

Johnny`s head jerked up. “What?!”

“What if I tell Yuta about you? Surely that doesn`t break the terms, since it`s not you who`s telling him?”

Ten didn`t look too sure, but there was hope in his eyes. “What exactly did Haechan say, Johnny?”

“He said “You can never tell your family or anyone else with legs that you`re alive”.” Johnny still looked dubious. “It can`t be that easy?”

“I think it can.” Sicheng replied, smiling. But Johnny shook his head. “Even if the loophole works, he can`t know.”

“And why not?”

Johnny sighed. “It`s too much of a burden, I can`t ask him to keep it a secret from our parents.” Quietly, he added, “Plus, he`ll hate me.”

Sicheng felt a small pang of sympathy for Johnny, but Yuta still deserved to know.

“That`s something you`ll have to live with if that happens.” Ten looked at him sharply, but still Sicheng continued. “He needs to know, Johnny, I can see that he still isn`t okay with it, even if he barely mentions it.”

At last, after a long silent conversation between Johnny and Ten, Johnny sighed. “Okay, you can tell him.”

Sicheng smiled a gentle smile at him. “Thank you, I don`t think you`ll regret it.”

“I sure hope not.” Johnny whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly hope all of this makes sense.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WAS SUPPOSED TO READ FOR MY MATH EXAM BUT INSTEAD I PROCRASTINATED AND WROTE THE REMAINING 6000 WORDS TODAY.
> 
> NO BETA WE DIE LIKE MEN

Family dinners were getting increasingly more awkward. Jaehyun noticed that Yuta had been in a bad mood around them more often than not lately, but he didn`t really know what to do about it.

There was a tense silence between them, Yuta didn`t even look them in the eyes.

Jaehyun had been glancing towards him, before he averted his gaze towards the plate still filled with meat and vegetables. 

He knew why it was tense, he had seen the way Yuta had reacted when they told him that he couldn`t go down to the beach anymore, but in addition to loosing one son to the creatures of the sea, he knew Taeyong had another reason for why he didn`t want Yuta near the water.

When Jaehyun and Taeyong got married, the latter had slowly opened up about why his parents were so desperate to marry him of and secure the future of the kingdom.

Taeyong had also lost a brother to mermaids and mermen, and he had never trusted anything that had to do with the sea ever again.

Jaehyun couldn’t say that he had ever hated the sea before the incident that happened five years ago, but he knew that he didn`t want Yuta near it any more than his husband did.

Now, he could see Taeyong struggling just as much as he did to strike up a conversation.

Taeyong really did not know what to say. 

He had tried at a conversation a couple of times, but Yuta had shut them down before they could even start.

Taeyong looked over at Jaehyun, widening his eyes and glancing over at Yuta, before looking at Jaehyun again. Silently telling him to do something.

Jaehyun saw it, but didn`t seem to understand as he tilted his head with questioning eyes.

Hardening his stare, Taeyong jerked his head towards Yuta and mouthed “do something”.

Jaehyun looked even more puzzled before his eyes widened in realization. His mouth formed an o shape, and he cleared his throat, making Yuta look towards him. Taeyong felt a glimmer of hope that maybe this could work- “Son, when I was your age…”

Oh dear gods.

Taeyong felt the hope die out, and he internally groaned. This was not how he wanted this conversation to go.

He wanted Yuta to be more open with them, but he knew how difficult it could be. 

Yuta was an adult, but he still needed to be careful as the future king, and Taeyong knew what a big risk going near the ocean was. 

He had completely tuned out the awkward conversation going on, instead focusing on his own thoughts. How could he make Yuta understand, and make everything go back to normal?

“Well, that was truly a fun and informative story father, but I have to go.” Yuta quickly got up from his chair, and made his way toward the dining room door, slipping through it before anyone else could say something.

“That went well.” Taeyong and Jaehyun shared a look.

Was it supposed to be this difficult?

///////////

“Do you think,” Yuta started, looking over at Winwin. “That you could teach me how to swim?”

Winwin`s head jerked up from where he had been staring down in the water. His mouth parted slightly but no words came. Yuta didn`t really know what the deal was, but maybe he was asking for too much?

“Or not,” he rushed out. “It`s really no big deal.” Yuta didn`t want Winwin to feel like he was pressuring him to do anything.

Winwin looked almost shy as he responded. “I want to.” He said, unaware that Yuta almost melted. 

It was late, and Yuta couldn`t see well, but he knew that this was the only time they had together for now, and even if he was terrified of drowning, he trusted that Winwin would save him. Again.

Still, when he made to get in the water, Yuta hesitated. How deep was it? Would his feet touch the sand, or would he have to float? Did he even know how to float?

It`s good to be cautious, but sometimes you have to jump into things without overthinking.

Winwin turned with a big grin on his face, it faltered when he saw that Yuta hadn`t jumped with him. Yuta smiled hesitantly at him, though it was laced with sadness. 

“Yuta.” Said boy didn`t meet Winwin`s eyes. He felt almost ashamed that he was so scared. “Yuta, look at me.” Winwin tried again. 

Yuta listened, and Winwin spoke to him, lowering his voice as if telling a secret. “You won`t drown, okay? I promise.” Yuta did trust him, but some part of him, the part that still heeded his parent`s warnings about water, held him back. Winwin sighed, but not in exaggeration.

“If I show you something, and you promise not to tell, will you come out then?” 

“I promise.”

Winwin took a deep breath, and Yuta leaned forward, curious as to what Winwin would do.

Slowly, the water started shifting and re-forming. It swirled upwards, making shapes like stars and circles, all while Winwin looked calm and collected. Yuta on the other hand was utterly entranced. 

Winwin could control water? 

Well, obviously, but still, Yuta was imagining things, right?

That`s what he thought anyways, until a little water bubble floated towards him and hit his nose, bursting and forming a wet stain on his shirt.

Okay so this was definitely real.

“I won`t let you drown, I promise.”

Yuta jumped.

The water engulfed him. His shirt and shorts got soaked, and he quickly figured out that he could not stand here, but it was okay, because the second the panic settled in and his feet started kicking desperately, his lungs needing air, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist and dragged him up towards the surface.

While Yuta was occupied with catching his breath, he didn`t notice how close he and Winwin were. Their noses almost touched, and Yuta`s clothed chest was pressed up against Winwin`s, which was very much naked. 

Their gazes met, and Yuta forgot everything except for Winwin. It was like everything disappeared, he couldn`t come up with anything that wasn`t the merman in front of him.  
Yuta didn`t think twice when his legs stopped kicking slowly and his eyes flitted down towards a pair of plush lips.

He could see Winwin`s eyes lowering as well, and he hoped he wasn`t reading anything wrong when he started leaning in. 

Yuta looked up at Winwin again, hoping to get a sign that he could proceed. He tilted his head a little, hoping the question was clear when he looked down at Winwin`s lips and up again. Winwin gave a minuscule nod, and Yuta took that as a sign to go ahead. 

Still, he took his time, giving the merman a choice to pull away if he decided that this wasn`t what he wanted.

Winwin didn`t stop though, he leaned forward himself, making their lips meet in the middle, and Yuta swore that he could see stars explode behind his eyelids as they fell closed.

The kiss didn`t last for long though, only a short press before Winwin drew back. “I have to tell you something.”

“What.” Yuta said breathlessly, it wasn`t a long kiss, but anything involving Winwin took his breath away.

“Winwin is not my real name.” 

Yuta did not expect that at all. 

He drew back a bit more, so he could see Winwin completely. He was confused. Had Winwin lied to him about his name? If so, why? He voiced the last question, not expecting the onslaught of information that came as an answer.

“You remember the boy I told you about? Haechan?” Yuta nodded, he could remember being told about a sea witch who could give people legs, or tail, but it was always a prize to pay. He already didn`t like the direction this story was going.

“A long time ago, my great grandfather went to the sea witch in hope of getting powers, being king wasn`t enough apparently.” Winwin laughed bitterly. “So, he asked for control over the ocean, but the ocean was not made to be controlled, so the prize was something generations after him would have to pay.

Yes, he got control, his son got control and so on, but we can never tell other people our name, at the risk of them using it against us.”

Yuta swallowed. “What could happen if someone found out your real name?”

Winwin`s eyes turned dead serious. “If someone calls on us, no matter where they are, we have to come to them. If not, we will be in extreme pain until we are.”

“So, if they`re on land?” Yuta asked hesitantly. 

Winwin looked him directly in the eyes. “Then we`ll have to drag ourselves to them.”

“And if you can`t get to them?”

“We disintegrate and die.”

Yuta felt bad for thinking the waterpower thing was cool now. Well, it was, but at what cost? Who would willingly give up their own name when they could die because of it? No matter how much Yuta wished he could say Winwin`s real name, just hear it once, he would never ask after hearing that. 

“Therefore, I am putting a lot of trust into you by telling you this.” 

Yuta panicked. “I don`t want you risking your life with telling me, I will be fine calling you Winwin for the rest of our days if it keeps you safe.” 

Winwin looked fondly at him. “I promised to never let you drown, right?” Yuta nodded.

“Then promise me that you will never use my name against me.”

Yuta couldn`t even imagine doing it. No, he cared too much for Winwin for him to do that to him. It was kind of insane how close they had grown over a few months, but here they were. Here Winwin was, trusting Yuta with his own life, just like Yuta had not ten minutes ago.

“I promise.” He said with all the conviction in the world.

“My real name” Winwin started, “is Sicheng.”

“Sicheng.” Yuta liked it, liked the way it sounded. “Sicheng.” He said again, like a child that had just learned how to speak. “I like it.” 

Sicheng blushed, Yuta wanted to kiss him again. 

“Sicheng,” He said, just because he could. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes please.” Sicheng responded, eyes falling closed as Yuta leaned in once more. 

This one was longer than the last, and Yuta loved it. Sicheng`s lips were so soft; he could kiss them all day. Unfortunately, that was when his body decided to start shivering from the slightly cold water, he hoped Sicheng wouldn`t notice, but of course he did.

“Maybe you should get up, you`re getting cold.” He said, smiling, but his tone was laced with worry.

Yuta pouted. “I didn’t even get to swim.” 

Sicheng laughed, throwing his head back. Yuta was amazed by how bright his smile was.

“We can do that next time.” He said, gently helping Yuta back on to the dock. “You should dry a bit before going back.” Stealing one last peck, Yuta dragged himself up on the planks.

“See you in two days.” He said to Sicheng, who repeated the words back to him, smiling before disappearing under the water.

///////

Sicheng was swimming restlessly back and forth. He was supposed to tell Yuta about Johnny, but somehow that whole plan went south.

It seemed he forgot everything he wanted to say when Yuta kissed him, and instead told him his real name. 

Even if Yuta had no bad intentions, which Sicheng strongly believed he didn`t, he would still have to tell Kun about a human knowing the best kept secret of the royal family. He didn`t know what would happen, but he hoped Kun wouldn`t get too pissed.

But of course, all the hoping was for nothing. 

“You did what?!” Kun shouted. He looked absolutely furious, and Sicheng wouldn`t lie and say it didn`t terrify him. “You realize that I have to tell your dad about this right?”

Sicheng could feel the ball in his stomach practically explode, his heart was beating rapidly, and he felt like he was going to throw up. “You can`t, he`ll ban me from seeing him again.” He choked out.

Kun looked sadly at him, but anyone could see that he was still mad. “You don`t know that.” He said. “But the King needs to know how much danger you have put yourself in! I mean, for Poseidon`s sake Sicheng, did you even think it through before you told him?” 

“Of course, I knew.” Sicheng responded. “But Yuta is too kind to ever use it against me.” 

Kun gave him a look. “Okay, let`s say he doesn`t use your name to call on you, what`s stopping him from letting it slip out in a conversation?” Sicheng was about to respond but Kun held up a hand, sighing. “I would have let you see him, Sicheng, but this? This is too serious; I have to tell your father.” 

Sicheng began shaking his head frantically. “You can`t!” Tears were welling up in his eyes at this point. Yuta had become such a huge part of his life, never seeing him again would feel like getting impaled. Like something you relied on being taken away. Sicheng was so tired of the ocean, Yuta made it a little less boring. No, scratch that, a whole less boring. 

Never seeing him again was out of the picture, and he was sure Yuta felt the same.

“I have to, you may be my friend and prince, but your father is the King, not telling him about this, and him finding out on his own, could lead to you getting stuck here forever, never being able to leave. I can`t see you wither away like that.” Kun shook his head. “I would rather tell him now. I have to tell him now.”

Tears came out of Sicheng`s eyes and mixed with the water around them, you couldn`t tell that he was crying unless you were close enough to see the redness. “Please don`t.” His voice sounded broken, even to his own ears. Sicheng barely managed to register the regret in Kun`s eyes as he opened his mouth again and called for the guards. “No, no, no, no!”

But Sicheng couldn`t do anything as the guards took his arms and dragged him backwards towards his room. Now, Sicheng was not weak by any means, but against two highly trained guards with muscles the size of his head? He stood no chance. 

He barely heard Kun telling them to not let him out of his room until the King gave orders to do so, he was too busy trying to fight his way out with what little strength he had left.  
Nothing worked. This was for the prince`s safety, and that was to be put above all else. 

Now he was stuck in his room, windows blocked with new bars that Sicheng had no idea how got placed there so quick. 

He had no way out, no way to Yuta.

Sicheng wondered what his father would do when he found out. He was a reasonable man, but with his son`s life on the line? All the rationality flew out the window. Maybe he could make him understand that Yuta would never cause anyone harm.

But that was a futile thought. He knew well how serious Doyoung was about this, and he understood why, he really did. 

How he wished he could just talk this out with someone who would understand. Someone who could convince his father that everything would be fine. 

The only thing Sicheng hoped for now was that Doyoung wouldn`t do something stupid in hopes of “fixing” his son`s so-called mistake.

Sicheng looked around the room, hoping to spot someway to get out without the guards noticing. He knew Doyoung well enough to know that something drastic would be set in the works at the news he was about to receive, and he needed to warn Yuta beforehand.

The windows were barred with coral, the door was guarded, there were no other doors, there was no way out. If he wanted to escape, he would have to talk to the guards.

But it looked like someone beat him to it, because he could hear loud talking coming through the door, and no other voice than the pissed off one from his very own brother.

“I do not care what Kun said, he is my brother and I demand to see him right now!”

Sicheng could feel a smile forming on his face. His brother always knew what he wanted and never failed to get it. He could practically see the guards nervous shifting, as the royal family was well known for being terrifying when mad.

Controlling the water came with some benefits. 

Of course, Sicheng would never use his powers to install fear in others, neither would Renjun, but his younger brother would surely use it when it came to seeing his loved ones when they`re forcefully locked away.

“It is for the prince’s protection, we cannot risk- “

Renjun was quick to interrupt. “Are you implying that me seeing him would be risking his safety?”

Sicheng almost let a laugh escape his lips.  
“Of course not, your Royal Highness, we would never imply such a thing, but we got strict orders to- “

Renjun interrupted once again. “And now you are getting new orders from me to let me see my brother, alone.”

“But- “

Sicheng could picture his brother staring at them both, eyes cold as they both contemplated what would bring the least amount of consequences. He himself would bet on following Renjun`s orders, his brother could be ten times scarier than their dad if he was truly pissed.

“Okay then, your Highness, we will take our leave for a short while.”

Although Sicheng couldn`t hear the guards leave, he certainly noticed when Renjun poked his head through the curtain of seaweed behind the door. Renjun locked his eyes on Sicheng, who was sitting defeatedly on the single bed at the back of the room. 

Renjun smiled mischievously at him, making his way towards his big brother. “What are you sitting here looking all sad for? Get out while the guards are gone, I don’t think they’ll stay away for much longer.” 

Sicheng`s head jerked up at that, cocking to the side in confusion. “What?”

Renjun rolled his eyes. “Come on, we don`t have all day, you have to go meet Yuta before dad goes all drama queen with his “You shall not date a human peasant” bullshit.” He smiled again, more genuinely this time. “Just go, I know you want to, and this might be your last time before you`re sealed away for good.” Sicheng felt a ball of dread settle in his stomach at the thought, and apparently Renjun could sense it.

“I will do everything to help you, and we`ll talk about this more when you get back, but please go before they return.”

Sicheng could not form in words his gratitude towards his brother. Renjun had truly always been Sicheng`s rock through every high, and every low. He was such a level-headed person, and Sicheng was extremely proud of him.

He was eternally grateful for Renjun, and from this day on he would never go a day without saying it.

“I owe you a huge favor, Renjun.” Sicheng said, as he made his way towards the exit.

Renjun laughed. “You can repay me by hurrying up!” 

“Yeah yeah, I`m going now.” He replied, swimming as fast as he could out of the palace and towards the beach, hoping he was quick enough.

Guards were everywhere, all being told that the prince`s safety was at risk, but Sicheng had grown up exploring ever corner and passageway within the walls, so he knew how to get past. They didn`t even notice when the very person they were supposed to protect was slipping through their fingers.

Now he was far enough away that he didn`t need to hide, they would definitely not see him at this distance. The further he got away from the palace, the clearer his head got.

Sicheng wasn`t as anxious anymore, the urge to get out was as big. He was out, and he was going to see Yuta. 

He prayed that Yuta would be on a walk and just happened to pas the beach, it would make everything much easier.

However, when he finally broke through the surface near the docks, he couldn`t see Yuta anywhere close by. 

He gripped the edge of the dock and hoisted himself up, stretching up as much as he could to try and spot him.

What was he supposed to do if he couldn`t find Yuta down here? He couldn't walk on land, he couldn't shout for him, it would attract too many people. So, what could he do? Renjun had risked so much when he let him out, he had argued a lot just so that Sicheng could escape, and now it would be for nothing.

But just as he was about to give up and jump back into the sea, he saw the top of a head over the rocks. 

Sicheng`s heart jumped in his chest, could that be Yuta? 

He couldn`t let him get away in that case. “Yuta!” He shouted and was relived when he saw the head stop moving. “Yuta!” He said again. “On the docks! I need to talk to you!” Yuta turned then, and made his way around the rocks, and Sicheng heard him before he saw him. 

“Ehm, I am sorry to tell you, but I am not- “ 

“You are not Yuta.” Sicheng said, a look of horror dawning his features in realization. The boy was definitely around the same age, but he was not Yuta. He had doe eyes, a stark contrast to Yuta`s piercing ones, and he looked all in all… soft. 

The boy was frozen. Sicheng had already shaken out of his stupor (how could he have let another human see him? At this point he was practically begging to be captured and killed), but the boy stood still in shock, not moving a single muscle. 

Sicheng waved at him. “Excuse me, but do you know a Yuta by any chance?”

The boy apparently remembered how to speak. 

“You`re a merman.” He said in disbelief.

Oh dear gods not this again.

“Yes, I am a merman, but I really need to see Yuta, it is urgent.”

“A real merman.” He whispered.

Sicheng sighed. “I am sensing a theme with humans here.” He muttered to himself. “I really need to see Yuta, like, right now.” He repeated, and the boy seemed to understand the situation a bit more.

“Why do you need to see my Prince urgently?” The boy was no longer amazed, he was however quite suspicious, and Sicheng didn`t know which one he preferred. 

“I need to tell him something before it is too late.” Sicheng looked at him pleadingly. “Please, it`s important.” 

The boy faltered a bit. “Fine, I will go get him,” he relented. “but first tell me your name.”

“Winwin.” Sicheng said without hesitation. 

The boy seemed satisfied. “Well, then Winwin, I am Jungwoo, Yuta`s own personal guard, nice to meet you.” Jungwoo said. “I would ask how you two know each other, but honestly this explains a lot.” Jungwoo sighed. “I shall go get him now, since it was urgent.”

“It`s life or death.” Okay, maybe Sicheng exaggerated a bit, but he didn`t have time for casualties right now. 

Apparently, it worked, because Jungwoo`s eyes blew wide before he took of towards what Sicheng assumed was the castle.

Now, all he could do was wait for Yuta to come.

/////////////

Yuta was eating peacefully with his parents when Jungwoo burst through the door.

Every pair of eyes in the room snapped up to look at him as he stood there, hyperventilating in the entrance. “Your Highness.” Jungwoo said, straightening his back. “Your presence has been requested immediately; it is quite serious.” 

Yuta could see his parents share a confused look. He turned back around in his chair to look at Jungwoo. “How serious?”

“Life or death.” Yuta was up from his seat in a second. 

“How can it be life or death?” Asked Jaehyun from his chair.

“I do not know, Your Majesty, all I know is that his Highness presence was requested immediately.” Jungwoo bowed his head towards the two kings, before turning to Yuta, inclining his head towards the entrance. “I hate to ruin your dinner, but please.”

Yuta followed. 

Before he went through the door, he turned to say one last thing. “Dad, father, I will be back as soon as possible.” Then he left, without turning back again. 

Yuta soon realized that they were headed towards the beach. “Jungwoo, can you tell me what`s happening?” 

Jungwoo slowed down a bit. “There was someone at the beach, shouting for you.”

Yuta didn`t realize, perhaps as quickly as he should, where Jungwoo was going with this. 

“He thought I was you, and when I made to tell him that my name was not Yuta…”

“You met Winwin.”

Jungwoo nodded. “I did, and I am quite offended that you never told your best friend about meeting a merman.” Yuta almost laughed.

“Sorry.” He replied. “But I kind of had to keep it a secret so that one, my parents wouldn`t find out, and two, so that I wouldn’t get drowned.” 

That time Jungwoo laughed, although it was breathy from all the running around. 

Although there was laughter, Yuta quickly felt the situation press down on his shoulders. What could be so important that Sicheng had come up during the day shouting for him? 

Yuta quickened his pace, needing to find out what was going on.

After five minutes of running, they were nearing the beach, although they could not see if Sicheng was still there since the rocks blocked the view. 

The closer they got; the more impatient Yuta became. But finally, he could see someone sitting on the docks, tapping their tail on one of the wood pillars. 

He sighed in relief seeing that he was still there. “Winwin!” He shouted. Sicheng turned, and a smile bloomed on his face, before it faltered. Yuta was by him in a flash, taking Sicheng`s face in his hands, searching for injuries. “What`s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Sicheng smiled softly at him, before taking Yuta`s hands in his own and lowering them, but still holding on. “I`m fine, but this might be the last time I see you, so I have to tell you one more thing.” 

“What.” Yuta choked out.

Was this the last time he would be seeing Sicheng again? No, he absolutely refused, not when he had just gotten to know him. Not when he had just started seeing a future together with him. 

“Trust me.” Sicheng said. “I don`t want this, but I have no power right now. I will try as hard as I can to see you again, but security will be upped on me know and I can`t do anything about it.” Sicheng was holding back tears, Yuta could see it. His eyes were shiny and full of emotion, probably an exact mirror to Yuta`s own.

“But I have to tell you this before my father finds out that I`m gone.” 

“What is it?” Yuta almost didn`t want to know what could be so important. Sicheng took one hand from their clasped ones and raised it to Yuta`s face, who leaned into the touch.

“Yuta, do you remember when you told me about… about your brother?” Something painful coursed through his body at the mention, but he pushed through it. 

“Yes, I do.” He answered.

Sicheng smiled sadly at him, throwing a glance towards Jungwoo, who was standing a little behind giving them privacy. “I have a best friend you know; his name is Ten.” Sicheng continued. “Around five years ago, Ten got married to someone I had never met, someone who used to be a human.

I found out not to long ago, that this person had traded their human life for a tail, but no one could know.” Sicheng studied Yuta`s face closely, seeing the exact moment he realized where this was going. “everyone believes that he`s dead.” He finished, rubbing Yuta`s cheek with his thumb in what he hoped was a comforting way.

A tear made it`s way down Yuta`s cheek, but deep down he absolutely refused to believe that his brother would leave him like that by choice. “No, it can`t be true, Johnny would never- “ Images of his brother looking longingly towards the ocean flashed through his mind, and Yuta almost fell back from what felt like a slap to the face. 

He could see the sadness on Johnny`s face the day he said goodbye, how the hug felt sad, and like it was filled with regret but determination. Yuta didn`t want to believe it, but the truth had always been staring him in the eyes, down to the very last detail. His brother didn`t drown, he was transformed.

And he left everyone believing he was dead.

Yuta suddenly couldn`t breathe. His mind went into overdrive and everything became too much. He couldn`t stop crying, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn`t stop shaking. His breath came out in short pants and gasps. Sicheng looked at a loss for what to do, his eyes widening as he tried to calm Yuta down.

But there was a buzz in Yuta`s head, almost blocking out Sicheng`s calls for him completely while he was stuck repeating the same word over and over again. “No no no no…” 

Jungwoo made to help him as well, but Sicheng held up a hand, signaling for him to stay back. He halted, but only barely. He hated seeing his best friend this distressed, but it seemed like the merman knew how to calm him down. 

“Yuta, focus on my voice.” Something broke through the buzz, giving Yuta something to grasp onto while he was lost in his own head. It felt like he was drowning, but yet again, Sicheng would save him.

“Listen to me, Yuta, I can`t imagine what you`re going through, but I need you to calm down before I have to go, I can`t have the last memory of you be one of you crying, I need to see you smile, please Yuta.” 

Said boy could feel hands cupping his face, slowly bringing him back to reality. The touches were not as frantic anymore, they were slow, calming. 

Yuta felt himself return to the present, and he returned to Sicheng smiling blindingly at him. He couldn`t help but return it.

The moment only lasted for a little while though, as a head popped up from the water. 

“Brother.” The stranger said. “I come with a warning.”

Sicheng`s head jerked, clearly not expecting to see his little brother so soon.

Sadly, Sicheng replied. “Is it time to return already?” 

Yuta`s head went back and forth between the brothers, and his arm snaked around Sicheng`s waist, clearly not wanting to let go just yet. The brother (Yuta could recall his name starting with an “R”, Renjul? Renjus? Renjud?) let his gaze drop to where Yuta`s arm was, and a smirk settled on his lips before his expression fell. (Renjun!)

“I overheard Kun and father talking.” Renjun said, his voice urgent. “Father plans to kill Yuta, it`s the only way to assure that you`re out of harms way according to him.”

Sicheng`s blood ran cold out of fear for Yuta, and the thought of his dead body. He could feel the arm around his waist stiffen, and Sicheng took one of his own and ran it up and down Yuta`s back. “And Kun didn`t say anything?” 

Renjun looked sad. “He tried, but you know how dad is.” 

“Could we talk to father perhaps?” Sicheng tried, though he had a feeling it would be futile.

“Do you really think that we can get through to him?” Renjun smiled sadly, and Sicheng felt all hope leave his body, he had to think of something else. “What am I supposed to do then?” He asked, tilting his head towards the sky as if it held all the answers.

Renjun seemed hesitant as he answered. “I might have an idea, but it`s risky and has a lot of consequences… “

Trust Renjun to have a plan, Sicheng thought. “I refuse to let Yuta die, what`s the plan?”

“It might involve a certain sea witch…” Sicheng could practically feel his blood freeze, and subconsciously drew Yuta closer to him for comfort. 

“Are you saying what I think you`re saying?”

“It might be the only way to keep the human alive, as well as keeping you from withering away at the palace.” Renjun swam closer, lowering his voice for only Sicheng to hear. “I know how much he means to you, and I get it, I have people I care for like that too.” Renjun ignored Sicheng`s questioning look and continued talking with watery eyes. “And it`s not like I`ll never see you again right? We can still meet up here.”

“Renjun- “

Said boy interrupted him before he could speak any more. “Sicheng, don`t be silly. It`s either him dying and a war starting, or this. You know there`s no other way.” 

Sicheng could feel the fight leaving him, not that there was much there to begin with. He would never let Yuta die, and if this was the only way, he would do it.

He turned to look at Yuta, who was wearing a worried expression that twisted Sicheng`s heart. He had just found out that his brother was still alive, and now his (boyfriend? Lover? Friend?) boyfriend`s dad wanted to kill him? 

“I have to go for now, Yuta, but I promise that I`ll come back.”

Yuta started shaking his head. “No, no I refuse to part with you right now.” 

Sicheng did not want to part with Yuta either, but even less did he want to see him dead, so they had to, at least for the time being. “Yuta, you have to go tell your parents about Johnny, if they see him without you telling him, he will die.” Yuta`s eyes widened in shock, but Sicheng continued. “I have to go do something, but you must tell them by the time I get back, your life depends on it.” 

Sicheng looked behind Yuta and towards at Jungwoo. “You have to get him back to the castle right now.” Jungwoo nodded, the shock from before wearing of, and his instinct to protect Yuta kicking in. 

However, Yuta was still reluctant. “I really don`t want you to go.” 

“I know, and I don`t want to go either, but we all have tasks to do so that this whole plan can work.” Sicheng turned to Renjun. “You have to go get Ten and Johnny now.” Renjun nodded in understanding, he had quickly figured out why Johnny was such a vital part of the plan, but Yuta hadn`t, and he wanted an explanation.

Renjun`s head ducked under the water as Sicheng made to get into it as well. “We don`t have time, just trust me okay? Everything will be fine.” He reached out a hand to grab onto Yuta`s shirt, drawing him down and kissing him quickly on the lips. “Trust me, please.” 

Yuta looked him in the eye. “I trust you.” He said, and then Sicheng was gone in the ocean, while Jungwoo tugged at his shirt. “Come on, we have to do what Winwin said and go now.” Yuta just nodded numbly at him, before following Jungwoo up towards the Castle.

////////////

Sicheng knew where Haechan resided to. It`s not like it`s a huge secret either, that would be bad for business, but that didn`t make the road there any less creepy. 

It was darker there, way more seaweed, looking for tails to cling on to and drag down. There were small lanterns, which Sicheng found weird, but everything was abnormal when it came to Haechan. 

However scary the legends might be, there were also stories about Mark, the most patient person known to man. Although it was said that he could become annoyed at Haechan`s antics quite fast, it was never serious. Sicheng believed that Mark would hold Haechan back from doing anything drastic. 

At least he hoped so. 

By the time he had swam past all the seaweed, he finally came to a cave.

The cave was located far beneath where the water met air, and even further away from land. The whole kingdom was by a cliff, far above the water, but if you jumped down and swam far enough east, you would find yourself only a couple of hundred meters above the cave entrance hidden behind plants.

Of course, no human knew about this, but even if they did, they would not have enough air for the way down.

Sicheng sighed deeply, mentally preparing for the way in. Haechan was also known for being quite dramatic, and he loved making an entrance. Sicheng would probably be scared out of his mind if the sea witch all of a sudden popped up behind him. 

He was wary the entire way in, swimming even slower when he saw lanterns hanging from the cave ceiling. Sicheng was getting close, he could feel it.

His eyes darted back and forth, trying to spot anything that moved, but to no avail. He had little time left before he should be back, so it was not above him to start shouting for the sea witch.

But just as he was about to open his mouth, a voice sounded from his left. “No need to shout for me, Sicheng, I`m right here.”

Sicheng swirled around, trying to catch a glimpse of the owner of the voice, but to no avail. 

“Haechan, for the love of god, just turn on the lights.”

That was most likely Mark, and Sicheng noticed just then that the lanterns had dimmed down a lot. 

“You never let me have any fun.” Haechan whined, just before the lights got blown up to full force, nearly blinding Sicheng.

He scrunched his eyes shut, talking towards where he hoped Haechan was so that he didn`t look like a complete idiot. “I have come here to ask you for a bargain.” 

Haechan hummed. “I already know what you want, but the question is, what are you willing to give up for it?” The lights dimmed a bit, enough for Sicheng to open his eyes and spot who he assumed was Haechan, sitting casually in a chair. Mark not far behind, leaning on one of the cave walls.

But what was Sicheng willing to give up? 

He already knew the answer, but it was frightening just how much he was willing to give to a boy he had met only some months ago.

But then again, Yuta wasn`t just another boy was he.

“Everything.” Sicheng whispered, and Haechan must have heard him, because he seemed satisfied.

“Are you sure?” He asked. “Because you can never go back after this.”

Sicheng breathed in deeply, determination settling deep in his bones. “I`m sure.” He answered.

Then everything went black.

/////////////

“Ten! Johnny!” Renjun shouted the second he entered their home. “We have to go now!”

He really didn`t have the time to go look for them, so he tried shouting again. “Ten! Johnny! I`m serious!!”

Luckily for him he didn`t need to, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw two clearly tired people appear from where he assumed the bedroom was.

“Why,” Ten started. “Are you shouting in our home?” Leaning on Johnny, he was clearly not fully awake yet, so Renjun turned to the taller of the two.

“So, to not start a war, we kind of need you up on the surface right now.” Renjun summarized, hoping to the gods that Johnny would just follow him no questions. 

Johnny blinked at him. “What?”

“Yuta and Winwin need you on the surface before my father goes on a rampage and kills your brother, effectively starting a war.” Renjun said. “Is that enough explanation? We really don`t have the time, we have to go.” 

However, Johnny stood frozen, with a slightly more awake Ten straightening up. “Does Yuta know about Johnny?” He asked carefully.

Renjun was getting really impatient, but he still took the time to answer. “Yes, he knows, Winwin told him not to long ago, and he`s on his way to tell your parents. But if Johnny doesn`t come with me right now and prove that he`s alive, wasn`t killed by you, and confirm that he used to be human, a war will start and his brother and mine will be in the middle of it, so please just follow me.” He rushed out.

Johnny promptly unfroze, grabbing Ten`s hand before saying: “Then we have to go right now.”

Renjun had to refrain from rolling his eyes. “Well, that`s only what I`ve been saying for the past five minutes.” He muttered as he swam after them towards the surface.

///////////////

Yuta promptly burst through the door, just as Jungwoo had, and was relieved to see his parents sitting in the dining hall, not eating anymore, just talking.

“Johnny`s alive.” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Yuta cringed at his choice of words, but he didn`t know how much time he had left at this point.

His parents looked bewildered at the statement, almost like they didn`t know what he was talking about. “You need to come with me, both of you.” 

Taeyong stood up from his seat. “Yuta, are you sick?” 

“What?” Yuta asked, annoyed that they didn`t take him seriously. “He`s alive and you need to follow me right now.”

Jaehyun joined Taeyong in standing up, both making their way towards their son. “Yuta… We know you miss him, but he`s dead, someone saw him drown, he`s not coming back.”

Yuta wanted to scream. He knew Sicheng would never lie to him about this, he knew Johnny was alive, and he certainly understood why his parents didn`t want to get their hopes up like this. 

“Okay, if you won`t believe me, follow me at least, this is important.”

They shared a look. “Follow you where?” 

“To the beach.” Yuta answered, fully prepared for the storm that was about to come, but before they could shout at him, Yuta turned around and walked out of there, fully expecting them to follow him.

And they did. “Have you been going down to the beach without us knowing?” He could hear the barely contained rage in his father`s voice, thundering footsteps accompanying it.

“Yes.” Yuta replied. “And I`m really glad I did.” He did not regret it, but how he wished that his parents weren`t so against it. 

“We told you what would happen if you went down there again, Yuta.”

Yuta did remember, but he knew that Jungwoo was in no danger of losing his job when Yuta`s parents saw what he wanted them to see. 

They were getting closer to the beach, and Yuta really hoped that either Renjun or Sicheng was back, he didn`t know how long he could keep his parents there before they would drag him back.

The docks were empty when they finally got there, but Yuta had a feeling that they wouldn`t have to wait for long.

He made it to the edge, looking down into the water, before Jaehyun practically yanked him backwards. Yuta looked over his shoulder and towards Taeyong, who had stopped by the sand, clearly uncomfortable. 

Yuta could feel a lecture coming, and he had been preparing for it since the day he snuck out to meet Sicheng, but before that could happen, a head popped out of the water.

Yuta smiled at the sight of Renjun, but it faltered quickly when he remembered who would follow soon after. He could hear the gasps that came from his parents at the sight of a merman. Yuta did not know how they would react, but he knew that it wouldn`t matter the second they saw Johnny.

He realized that he had barely taken time to think about how it would feel, seeing his brother again after five years. Whether he would be angry at first sight, or relieved and understanding. 

But understanding of what exactly? How he had left to be with, what Yuta assumed was, the love of his life? Sicheng had said that if his parents saw Johnny without Yuta telling them that he was alive first, Johnny would die. But how did that work?

Yuta had so many questions and none of them had answers.

He could see another head surface beside Renjun, and although he didn`t recognize him, he was smart enough to guess that it was Ten, Sicheng`s best friend. 

And if Yuta remembered correctly, his brother in law.

He waved a little at Ten, who hesitantly raised a hand back at him. 

Yuta could feel his parent`s eyes burning into his back, watching the whole exchange in disbelief. He didn`t fully believe this was happening either.  
Lastly, a familiar head joined the two others. Yuta`s breath disappeared out of his lungs in one big exhale. 

He hadn`t seen that face in so long, and he could for sure say that all he felt in that moment was happiness. “Johnny.” He could hear someone whisper behind him, it sounded like Taeyong, but he couldn`t be too sure.

Johnny smiled at them, albeit a little hesitantly.

“You weren`t delusional at all.” Yuta could hear Jaehyun say to him. 

“Gee, thanks dad.” 

Taeyong decided to join them on the dock then, his fear forgotten. “Is that really you?” He tried to get a closer look, but seemed to remember that there was a lot of water there and leaned back. “We thought you drowned- Someone saw you drown!”

Johnny was obviously at a loss of words, opening and closing his mouth continuously as if searching for the right ones. “Well,” he said at last. “here I am! Not dead and… not human I guess.” 

Yuta had been a little more prepared for this, even if it was just half an hour more, so he let out a laugh, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “I see you`re as funny as always.”

Johnny let his eyes glide away from his parents and to his little brother. “I never lost it.” He smiled at Yuta, and Yuta smiled right back. 

“I hate to break up this reunion…” Renjun said apologetically, “but I think my dad is here.” He pointed at a small whirlpool starting up in the water.

Yuta looked around frantically for Sicheng, praying that the merman would be back with him within the next five minutes, so that he would at least get to say goodbye if the plan didn`t work.

But Sicheng had told Yuta to trust him, and he did. 

The whirlpool grew bigger and bigger to the point where the three mermen had to hold onto the docks. 

From the middle of it all came a man around his own parents age, wielding a trident. If Yuta had to guess, he would assume that this was Sicheng`s and Renjun`s dad.

He looked, to put it mildly, pissed.

And most importantly, he looked like he was about to kill Yuta.

Yuta didn`t particularly fancy death today, but he had to say, death by trident was a cool way to go.

An arm was drawn back, ready to deliver a killing blow to the prince, when someone shouted. “Do not kill him father! It will start a war!”

The man looked towards Renjun, nothing but rage evident on his face. “He knows your brothers name, Renjun, how can you trust this human to keep it a secret?” The word “human” was said with so much disgust and loathing that a tremor shot through Yuta. 

“Because not everyone is the same, Father. Not everyone will betray our family.”

Yuta made eye contact with Johnny, hoping to portray with his eyes that he forgave him. He wanted Johnny to know that if he would die soon.

It seemed as if he understood, at least Yuta hoped he did.

He was strangely calm during all of this, the only thing nagging him was the whereabouts of Sicheng. Or rather, the lack of knowledge about them. Yuta hoped he was safe.

He could hear his father whispering to Jungwoo beside him. “I want you to run to the nearest guard and say code red, okay?” Jungwoo nodded.

All the while Renjun had been arguing for Yuta`s life, nobody noticed Jungwoo slipping away. Yuta panicked, but he couldn`t call Jungwoo back without alerting the King of everything that was happening.

If Sicheng didn`t come soon, there would surely be a war, starting with Yuta`s death.

“Enough!” The King roared. “He knows, and for that he must die! Do you not see how much of a danger this is to your brother?” He didn`t wait for Renjun to answer.

He drew his arm back again, ready to fire, but this time another voice stopped him.

“Wait!” 

That`s weird, Yuta thought. The voice was coming from land, but it sounded exactly like Sicheng.

Wait… It couldn`t be…

A furious Sicheng was marching towards the docks, eyes set on his dad, only tearing them away for a second to check if Yuta was okay. 

“Thank the gods you`re not dead.” He said in one breath, walking (Walking?!) up to him and putting an arm around his waist before facing his dad again.

Yuta was bewildered. Was this the plan? Sicheng had legs?!

Now, he was certainly not complaining, considering he looked really good with them, but didn`t this mean…

Oh.

Oh no.

He had definitely gone to Haechan and made a huge bargain for them.

“Winwin…” He started. “What did you bargain to get, ehm,” He looked down at Sicheng`s new and long legs. “Those.”

“I`ll tell you soon.” Sicheng replied.

He looked up towards his father, who along with everyone else, wore a shocked expression. “What have you done, son?”

Sicheng looked at each and every one of them individually. He looked at his dad first, sending him a long look that he hoped conveyed how he had no other choice. He looked at Renjun, trying to say how sorry he was, but his brother was having none of it. “I understand.” He said. “Don`t you dare apologize.” 

He looked at Ten, then Johnny, before dragging his gaze towards Yuta`s parents, bowing his head as a greeting. They seemed confused, which was understandable, but nodded back. Lastly, he looked at Yuta. 

Kind, caring Yuta who had made him feel more alive then ever. Who had shown him what life was like on land by telling him about everything human. 

Sicheng had always dreamed of walking on land, and he would never have done this, gotten to fulfill his dream, without Yuta. He wouldn`t have any familiar people to lean on there, but now he had one.

“I traded my tail for legs, as you all can see.” Sicheng stated, loud and clear, no hint of nervousness in his voice. 

“What did you trade it for?” His father asked restlessly. 

Sicheng almost looked sad when he replied. “I can never swim in the sea ever again.” He said. “If I so much as dip a toe in the ocean, I will die.”

The crestfallen look on his fathers’ face was one Sicheng would never forget.

“A prince,” he said, gesturing towards himself, “for a prince.” He finished, pointing his hand in Johnny`s direction.

Sicheng`s dad snapped his head towards Johnny. “You`re a prince?!” He exclaimed.

Johnny smiled. “I was, yes.”

A loud thundering of footsteps could be heard then. Yuta had almost forgotten about the code red.

Hundreds of soldiers swamped the beach, all pointing bows and arrows towards the mermen, who looked shocked at the intrusion. “At your signal, Your Majesty!” 

“Hold!” Jaehyun replied. “Lower your bows men, no fight will be happening today.”

Yuta nearly laughed at the confused expressions the men wore, but his attention quickly returned to Sicheng and his dad. “Why would you do that?” The king asked.

“To prevent a war from happening.” Sicheng replied. “And to finally unite our two kingdoms.” 

“They cannot know we exist! You should know that now!”

Sicheng sighed. “I think it`s a little too late for that now, father.”

Unexpectedly, Taeyong was the one to step towards Sicheng. “You were a merman?” He asked carefully.

“Yes.” Sicheng replied.

“And you gave up your entire life to prevent a war? To stand by my son`s side?” Taeyong asked again. 

“I would do it again if I had to.” Just like everything else Sicheng said, Yuta believed him wholeheartedly. 

Taeyong looked at him, really looked at him. As if trying to detect a lie. He leaned back after a while, seemingly satisfied. “Then you are welcome in our family.” He said at last, taking a step back to join Jaehyun, who nodded in agreement.

Sicheng smiled at them, so brightly that Yuta felt blinded.

“Well then.” Sicheng`s dad said. “I guess that is it, there is nothing to be done.”

“I`m sorry, father.” 

Another head popped up. And suddenly, Kun was there as well.

Sicheng didn`t look mad, and he wasn’t either. He understood why Kun did what he did, so Sicheng smiled at him as well, and got one in return.

Yuta could sense Sicheng`s need for one final moment with his family before his human life began, so he gently took his parents hands and led them towards the rocks. Sicheng sent him a grateful glance, before turning to his brother. 

However, they didn`t get very far before Johnny called out to them. 

Of course, they hadn`t forgotten about Johnny, but they did want to give Sicheng his privacy with the other mermen before they bombarded Johnny with questions.

He swam as close to shore as he could, dragging himself the last couple of meters to lay on the sand. Taeyong, Jaehyun and Yuta all sat down beside him. 

“Tell us everything.” Jaehyun said, leaving no room for argument.

And Johnny did. He told them about finding Ten, saving him, falling in love with him, the deal with the Sea Witch and everything in between. Everyone listened intently, not wanting to miss a single detail. He told them about how much he missed them, which started a chain of crying and awkward hugs. Promises to meet again, and personally carrying him to the lake by the castle. Jaehyun joking about it being kind of like a vacation.

At last, they had to part ways, but neither of them were sad. On the contrary, their hearts felt lighter than ever. 

Sicheng parted ways with his family as last as well, walking up to Yuta and grabbing his arm for support. He was still a bit wobbly.

Yuta couldn`t wait to rule the kingdom with Sicheng by his side.

///////////////

“I`m sorry.” Yuta said.

Sicheng looked over at him, confused. “What are you sorry for?”

“That you`ll never get to swim again.” 

“Silly.” Sicheng replied, almost laughing at Yuta`s expression. “The deal never said anything about pools or lakes, only the sea.”

Yuta understood immediately. “Do you think Haechan thinks these deals all the way through? Or is he simply lazy?” He laughed, and Sicheng joined in.

“Maybe both.” 

/////////////

“You always give them loopholes, why?” Haechan could feel Mark`s breath on his neck as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him backwards into a warm chest. 

“I only give loopholes to people with pure hearts, who bargain with me because they want something for loved ones, or for the greater good.” 

Mark sighed. “I don`t really get all the legends about you, you know?” 

Haechan turned around in Mark`s arms, looking him in the eye with a questioning look.

“You`re so precious.” Mark said, making Haechan blush. “Not evil or scary at all.”

“I was much worse before you found me, Mark. I`m better now, because of you.”

Mark chuckled. “You`re extra cheesy as well.” Haechan hit him lightly on the chest. “You`re ruining the moment!” He whined, making Mark laugh harder.

“Sorry.” Mark said, kissing Haechan on the cheek and effectively making the pout go away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is maybe the longest thing i have ever written, and i cannot wait for the art that my best friend promised me based of this work:D
> 
> Anyways, thank you all so much for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it, updates about once a week, depending on how hectic school becomes woho.


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